Ball mill and vapor condenser



June 13, 1950 L M. SHAFER BALL um.. AND vAP'oR counnnsm Fund nov. 19. 1947 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY ball mill reactor.

Patented June 13, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE 2,511,742 BALLMILL AND VAPOR CDNDENSEB Lincoln M. Shafer, Upper Montclair, `N. J.

Application November 19, 1947, Serial No. 786,915

This invention relates to novel apparatus and more particularly to novel apparatus including a In one of its more speciiic aspects the invention is directed to novel apparatus oi' the aforesaid type operating under reduced pressure conditions.

An embodiment of the apparatus and method of operating the same will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the apparatus shown in the drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a. view partly in section and partly in side elevation of an illustrative embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in elevation and section of a modification of the apparatus shown in Fig. l.

As shown in the drawings there is provided a ball mill I having a rotatable chamber in which are located a plurality of steel or other type oi' crushing balls I2 or the like. One side I3 of the chamber has a large diameter gear il flxedly secured thereto and driven by a small drive gear i5 keyed to a drive shaft I5 of a driver I1 which may be an electric motor or any other convenient driving mechanism. Keyed to the gear I4 and extending outwardly therefrom is one end of a supporting shaft I8 having its other end journalled in a bearing I9 carried by a vertical support 20. Disposed belowthe chamber is a source oi' heat which may be a burner 2| such as a gas burner or the like.

The chamber i0 has an inlet opening sealed by a demountable cover plate (not shown) and an outlet opening. A hollow shaft 22 is secured to the other side 23 of chamber extends outwardly therefrom and communicates with the interior of chamber Il. A condensing or catch chamber 25 has an opening in one side thereof in which extends one end of the hollow shaft and outlet 22. Mounted on the shaft 22 near that portion of chamber 25 in which said shaft extends is a packingrlng. piston or other device 2B for maintaining an air seal therebetween. A stationary collar 21 is mounted on'shaft 22, has an annular opening in which is disposed the air sealer 26 and is secured to the stationary chamber 25 by stud bolts 28. The collar 2J is journalled in a bearing 29 mounted on a support 30. The receiving chamber 25 has an opening in the other side thereof communicating with the opening through a hollow member 3| extending outwardly therefrom and in alignment with the hollow shaft 22. A collapsible element 32 such as a bellows or the like composed of any suitable gas impervious material has one end thereof air sealed to the 4 claims. (Ci. zii-101) outer end of the element Il and its other end is air sealed to one end of a reciprocable` head il having an opening 3l therein accommodating one end of a suction or vacuum 'hose 35 having il! other end connected to a vacuum'pump (not shown). Integral with the head I3 and extending inwardly therefromis a breaking or reamlng rod 36 passing through the -member 3|. The receiving chamber 25 may have a water cooling jacket l1. The diameter of rod 38 is slightly less than the internal diameter of supports 22 and 3|. The head 33 is pivotally connected to one end of a link 38 which has its other end pivotally connected to an eccentric 39 mounted on support l0 and driven by a motor Il.

In operation, the motor il is energized to drive the ball mill chamber*` in which is located a composition which with or without the aid of heat vaporiaes, while underv reduced pressure conditions due to the vacuum therein by operation of a vacuum pump connected thereto through the hose 35, bellows Il, chamber 25 and conduit 25 being a vacuum line to chamber Il. The vacuum or reduced pressure conditions is constantly maintained by the pump. The vaporized material may be a reactionproduct or a distillation product of a reaction product produced in situ. The vaporized material passes out of the chamber through the rotating outlet 22 and into the chamber 25 in which it is received and condensed and the condensate may be tapped therefrom through outlet 42. To prevent plugging of outlet 22 by the vaporized material which may deposit and solidify therein, the head 33 is reciprocated 1. The combination of a rotatable ball millL chamber havingvan openingv in one side thereof, a stationaryreceiving chamber, a hollow conduit.

said vchambers communicating with each other' through said conduit for the passage of vaporized material 'from said ball mill chamber to said receiving chamber, a vacuum line for maintaining sub-atmospheric pressure conditions in said ball mill chamber, a rod located in said line and means for reciprocating said rod in said conduit to remove .therefrom said material which has dcposited therein without imparing the maintenance of said sub-atmospheric pressure cona ditions in said chamber.

2. The combination'of a rotatable ball mill chamber having an opening in one side thereof, a hollow ,conduit coupled with said chamber at said opening and rotatable therewith for the passage of vaporized material from said ball mill chamber and through said conduit, a stationary receiving chamber, said receiving chamber also coupled with said hollow conduit at one side thereof to receive said material from said conduit,

the other side of said chamber having an open-l ing therein, a vacuum line coupled with said chamber at said opening, a rod located in said vacuum line and means for reciprocating-said rod in said conduit without impairing the mainte-v nance of said sub-atmospheric pressure conditions in said chamber.

3. The combination of a rotatable ball mill chamber having an opening in one side thereof,

4. The combination of a rotatable ball mill chamber having an opening in one side thereof. a stationary receiving chamber, a hollow conduit communicating with said chambers for the passage of vaporized material from said ball mill chamber to said receiving chamber, a, bellows communicating with said receiving chamber, a rod carried by said bellows and a vacuum pipe operatively connected to said bellows, and means' for actuating' said bellows to reciprocate said rod in saidV conduit, said bellows being operative to reciprocate said rod in said conduit to remove therefrom said material deposited therein without impairing the maintenance of sub-atmospheric pressure conditions in said chamber.

LINCOLN M. SHAFER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 922,516 Rockiiil.' et al May 25, 1909 946,688 Simm Jan. 18, 1910 1,675,345 Hall July 3, 1928 2,174,008 MoW Sept. 26, 1939 2,262,125 Wade Nov. 11, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Datev '7,357 Great Britain Nov. 11, 1899 Great Britain Dec..22, 1922 

